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"madness turns to glass" from

it has been two years since 'remote' and now s:cage has returned with 'madness turns to glass'. with this release stephen seto has achieved the emotional response that he is known for; accomplished via his unique mixture of melody, aggression and iciness. that is, he has continued on the path he started with his debut. what's astounding in s:cage's work is the ability of mixing various moods through the assemblage of sounds. there is beauty and aggression at the same time but there is no disruption; which is perfectly exemplified by the13+ minute track, 'madness'. a kaleidoscope of melodic keyboard lines, enriched with disturbing samples and sudden broken beats - it could be the symphony of an awakening megalopolis; a million individuals living their daily lives at the same time. rhythm is ever present in s:cage's compositions, but rhythm is not just a carrier of a 'beat' - in 'collapsing breath', the structures change constantly, keeping the mind and ear busy. the manipulated voices seto collected are never overbearing, they are a part of the instrumentation. as seen by cordell klier appearance as a guest musician and vocalist in 'sprawling, endless cities'. in s:cages sound space nothing is as it seems - take 'vapour', a dreamy soundscape where voices from the real world and fast rhythmic textures interfere and affect the dream. when the record is over and 'madness' has finally turned to 'glass', you will realize that you have to take another listen right away. so that you can get a deeper understanding (and pleasure) of this work. digi-sleeve special cardboard packaging